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Village seeks loan to fund plant work

The Fredonia Village Board last week decided to ask the state Clean Water Fund program for a 20-year loan, estimated to be $1.3 million, to finance improvements at the wastewater treatment plant.

The current interest rate on Clean Water loans is 1.98%.

The loan would finance installation of a grit-removal system used to remove sand, dirt and other materials from raw sewage before it enters the plant.

An engineering design study estimated the installation cost at $1.3 million, but Public Works Director Roger Strohm said that could change based on bids that come in from contractors. Requests for bids went out Tuesday, Strohm said.

The loan application is due in July.

The grit-removal system will replace a bucket-and-chain system currently used.

The current system, besides being less efficient and messier, also removes valuable organic material used by microbes in the treatment process to digest sewage, Strohm said.

Officials say the grit-removal system is the first phase in improving and upgrading the plant to bring it more in line with state Department of Natural Resources guidelines regarding phosphorus levels and would mean greater efficiencies and operational savings.

The total cost of the upgrades is estimated at $3.4 million, Strohm said.